get down

verb

got down; got down or gotten down; getting down; gets down

transitive verb

1
: to manage to swallow
2
: to cause to be physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted : depress
the weather was getting her down
3
: to commit to writing : describe

intransitive verb

1
: to alight especially from a vehicle : descend
2
: to give one's attention or consideration
used with to
get down to business
3
a
: to perform music or dance effectively and infectiously
b
: to have a good time partying

Examples of get down in a Sentence

I was getting down from the seaplane when a gust of wind swept away my hat. it's really getting him down that there does not seem to be one woman who will date him
Recent Examples on the Web Ohio State got the ball back with just over a minute left but came up short after quarterback Will Howard tucked the ball and ran with it but didn’t get down in time to call a timeout as the clock expired. Issy Ronald and Jacob Lev, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024 The scene is hilarious, disgusting, and magical all at once, as Tobias and two gas station attendants help Almut, who gets down on all fours and faces the inevitability of her situation. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 Oct. 2024 But, clearly, there’s a deep desire among music lovers to get down to ELO’s greatest hits—which is why a catalog or compilation musical centered around those hits (not a biomusical, please) feels like a no-brainer at this point. Darryn King, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024 Great moment when Billy Crystal took stage and riffed for a bit about appearing on Johnny Carson before getting down to business, introducing the nominees for Best Talk Series. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for get down 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of get down was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near get down

Cite this Entry

“Get down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20down. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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